Harding boys cross country coach Sean Astle, left, hands a pair of loaner running shoes to team member Justin Brown, during practice at Harding High School in Bridgeport, Conn. om Thursday, September 19, 2013. Astle is raising funds for team uniforms through the fundraising site, gofundme. less

Harding boys cross country coach Sean Astle, left, hands a pair of loaner running shoes to team member Justin Brown, during practice at Harding High School in Bridgeport, Conn. om Thursday, September 19, 2013. ... more

Senior Orlando Febus, 17, laces up a pair of loaner running shoes for boys cross country team practice at Harding High School in Bridgeport, Conn. om Thursday, September 19, 2013. The team's coach, Sean Astle, has raised funds for team uniforms through the fundraising site, gofundme.com less

Senior Orlando Febus, 17, laces up a pair of loaner running shoes for boys cross country team practice at Harding High School in Bridgeport, Conn. om Thursday, September 19, 2013. The team's coach, Sean Astle, ... more

Harding High School senior Clive Baker checks out his new track and field uniform from coach Sean Astle Tuesday, April 8, 2014, at the school in Bridgeport, Conn. Harding used a social media campaign to raise money for the new uniforms and high jump and shot put equipment. less

Harding High School senior Clive Baker checks out his new track and field uniform from coach Sean Astle Tuesday, April 8, 2014, at the school in Bridgeport, Conn. Harding used a social media campaign to raise ... more

The Harding boys cross country team warms up on the school's outdoor track in Bridgeport, Conn. om Thursday, September 19, 2013. The team's coach, Sean Astle, is raising funds for team uniforms through the fundraising site, gofundme. less

The Harding boys cross country team warms up on the school's outdoor track in Bridgeport, Conn. om Thursday, September 19, 2013. The team's coach, Sean Astle, is raising funds for team uniforms through the ... more

Bridgeport's high school teams aren't in a position where they can splurge on new equipment. Oftentimes, it takes a little creativity and a lot of effort to acquire what's needed.

This spring, members of Harding's outdoor track team received new uniforms thanks to a social media campaign engineered by coach Sean Astle. A fundraising effort on the GoFundMe.com website raised close to $15,000 and enabled the program to purchase new hurdles, high-jump equipment, javelins and shot puts, along with a collection of racing singlets and shorts.

Alumni groups contributed to the drive, Harding athletic director Chris Johnson said, and a senior from Darien started her own fundraising campaign that led to nearly 100 new pairs of running shoes being bought.

"A lot of people will be willing to offer their help," Johnson said. "I think they're really willing to help when they know that it's going to a good cause."

"The purpose of this foundation was to be able to give the students of Bridgeport the opportunity to compete with dignity and safety, on and off the field," Hiller said. "By having uniforms that are matched, having the proper shoes and the proper helmets and the proper equipment, it makes our kids compete on a more equal field than they were before."

Hiller said that a "little in excess of $50,000" has been raised by the Field of Dreams since the start through fundraisers, businesses, individuals and students and their school clubs.

The FOD helped send the three high school football teams to camps the last two summers. It also financially supported a baseball clinic featuring former MLB outfielder Angel Echevarria last April.

Hiller said that people are more willing to donate to the Field of Dreams because it's efficient and it works through the BPEF, a registered nonprofit.

"I think people have always wanted to support certain things in Bridgeport," Hiller said. "I think they just don't know how to do it. You can't just give money to the athletic director because you have to make it out to somebody. And he has to give it to the Board of Ed."

Oftentimes, donations not only support specific teams, but they also save Kavey from dipping into his budget for expensive items. For instance, Kavey bought two new ice machines for the training rooms at Bassick and Harding, along with scorer's tables for both schools.

Bridgeport community tennis donated rackets to the teams and, through a grant from the United States Tennis Association, helped the city with redoing the courts. Golf teams have been given equipment from certain courses on occasion.

There have also been instances in which the athletic department's had to improvise and make the most of its resources.

"There was a $10,000 universal machine that was just lying in tatters in the weight room at Central. Literally, it was a fire hazard," Kavey recalled. "We had to bring in an equipment company -- we paid them $800, and they had to put the machine together. It's used not only for the athletic teams here, but for the (physical education) classes as well.

"It's little things that other communities take for granted that we don't."